A number of bale stacker and retriever systems for use in a field are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,229, issued Apr. 11, 1995, for example, discloses a self propelled "big bale" stacker and retriever wherein bales are serially retrieved from the ground and placed on a rotating support table. The apparatus is so constructed as to limit the capacity of the rotatable platform to two bales disposed side by side. After one bale has been positioned on the rotatable table the table is rotated 180.degree. to accommodate a second bale placed therein next to the first bale. As will be seen below, apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention allows for efficient side by side placement of more than two bales on a support platform without requiring rotation of the support platform.
Other patents disclosing bale stacking and retrieving systems are as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,111, issued Aug. 28, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,101, issued May 11, 1982, U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,829, issued Feb. 12, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,955, issued Jan. 6, 1970, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,832, issued Sep. 24, 1968.
None of the above-identified patents illustrate the unique combination of structural elements disclosed herein which cooperate in a novel manner to efficiently and reliably retrieve and stack bales.
The present invention is characterized by its relative simplicity, efficiency and ease of use as well as by its ability to accumulate and stack more than two large bales disposed side by side. In addition, apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention incorporates a novel and reliable bale engagement and transport system which is operable to completely invert a bale and place the bale in inverted condition directly over and in close proximity to a mobile support platform prior to placement of the bale on the mobile support platform, lessening the possibility of bale damage during the process.